In 1999, designer David Dunham and his studio A Sharp introduced the world to King of Dragon Pass, a unique blend of mythic fantasy RPG and cattle management simulation. Initially met with commercial disappointment, the game gradually cultivated a devoted following, earning its place in the hearts of gamers as one of the most exceptional narrative experiences in the medium.
Thousand Hells: A New Narrative Adventure
Later this year, Dunham and A Sharp are set to unveil their latest creation, Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists. This innovative title promises a surreal and replayable journey through the afterlife, defying conventional categorization. Its publisher, Kitfox Games, describes it as a “systemic storybook experience,” while its Steam tags suggest it falls under the strategy RPG genre. Dunham himself refers to it as a “tactical narrative game,” highlighting the intentional ambiguity surrounding its classification. “There’s really nothing else quite like it,” he remarked in an interview with PC Gamer.
Dunham draws parallels between Thousand Hells and I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, where players collect formative experiences as cards to navigate narrative challenges. In a similar vein, Thousand Hells pauses the traditional storytelling to engage players in a distinct gameplay style for conflict resolution. However, instead of cards, players will utilize the traits of party members recruited in the Eternal City, a fantastical representation of Byzantium that serves as the gateway to the myriad underworlds below.
This game introduces conditional, rearrangeable storytelling elements—a concept that has become a staple in interactive narratives, as seen in titles like Fallen London and Wildermyth. Dunham believes he pioneered this design approach in the ’90s with King of Dragon Pass, although he acknowledges that King of Chicago may have predated him in 1987, a fact he was unaware of until much later.
“Many games now employ storylets, and I aimed to enhance how they are assembled,” Dunham explained. “We sometimes refer to it as a kaleidoscopic game because various pieces come together in randomized ways. Each playthrough offers a unique experience; it’s a story generator.” Unlike its predecessors, Thousand Hells weaves its narrative elements into a cohesive and satisfying story that can be experienced in just one or two hours, a significant departure from the lengthy narratives of King of Dragon Pass and its successors.
